The trial against Emilio Lozoya for the Odebrecht case is unblocked: Prosecution without evidence of bribes

The former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, Emilio Lozoya, will face a trial for his alleged involvement in the Odebrecht corruption scandal, where he is being investigated for alleged bribes received from the Brazilian construction company in exchange for favorable contracts. However, the Prosecutor's Office will not have evidence of the alleged deposits. This Tuesday, a federal court unblocked the trial against Lozoya for the Odebrecht case, where he is accused of crimes such as criminal association, bribery, and money laundering. However, as part of the same resolution, the accusing party (Pemex) will not be able to use the alleged illegal deposits in Brazil and Switzerland that would demonstrate the complicity of the former official. These alleged bank deposits received by Emilio Lozoya amount to 7,336,351 dollars and, in theory, would serve to demonstrate the bribes received by the former federal official from the Brazilian construction company. This despite Pemex filing a motion for the evidence not to be discarded. Likewise, the federal judge lifted a suspension that prevented the start of a trial against Emilio Lozoya, so he could now be summoned to appear before a trial court, according to Reforma. This process began in March 2023; however, Lozoya filed a series of appeals. Emilio Lozoya is linked to the so-called Odebrecht Case, which not only implicated him and a Brazilian construction company but also several officials throughout Latin America, accused of receiving bribes in exchange for favorable contracts. It all started in Brazil in 2014 when Judge Sergio Moro ordered Operation Car Wash, which revealed the bribery scheme. Little by little, it was discovered that dozens of Brazilian officials and officials from other Latin American countries were involved, for at least two decades, in a bribery system. In 2016, the US Department of Justice fined Odebrecht 3.5 billion dollars; while Marcelo Odebrecht, the company's CEO, was sentenced to 19 years in prison in Brazil. According to estimates, Mexican officials received at least 10.6 million dollars in bribes from the Brazilian construction company between 2010 and 2014; other estimates suggest it was 16 million dollars. The Attorney General's Office (FGR) calculated irregularities between Pemex and Odebrecht amounting to 135 million pesos. Among the projects tainted by the corruption of the Odebrecht case is the modernization of the Minatitlán refinery; it is also accused of a failed project to increase production in Minatitlán, Salamanca, and Tula, according to Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI).